


Dreamscape

by ostentatiouslyrealistic



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 16:09:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11211540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ostentatiouslyrealistic/pseuds/ostentatiouslyrealistic
Summary: "No, it's just," Semi stares down at his phone before looking up at them, "have you guys heard from Satori?" They both give him a blank stare, and he huffs in frustration, "I thought he'd just overslept, but he's not even spamming the group chat with stupid memes.""Sa—tori?" Hayato sounds much too confused for Semi's comfort. He narrows his eyes, "Yeah, Tendou Satori, you know, big red hair, looks like a reincarnated noodle?""Not the best image," Hayato snorts, and Semi rolls his eyes. Reon looks at him, confused, and says, "Probably the wrong guy, but I don't know a Tendou." Hayato shrugs, "Me either."All Semi can do is gape at them with wide eyes.--Semi wakes one day to find that none of his friends know who Tendou is, as if he'd been erased from existence. There's not much he can do until he realizes that Tendou still exists in his dreams, and that they still have a shot with figuring out what's going on.





	Dreamscape

**Author's Note:**

> The universe is unpredictable, a mass of fundamental complexities we can only hope to one day understand.

Semi's not entirely sure what's going on.

When he wakes up, nothing seems out of the ordinary, and he blearily blinks the sleep out of his eyes. It's—Monday? Or is it Tuesday? He can't remember, but it's definitely a weekday, and he stumbles when he attempts to slide out of bed. He swears out loud when he stubs his toe against his drawer, and his roommate groans, rolling over to block out Semi's angry mutters.

After going through his usual (slow) morning routine, he gets ready for class, slinging his bag over his shoulders. His roommate still hasn't gotten up though they both have class today; Semi eyes him wearily, wondering whether to wake him up, and decides it's not worth the kick to the ribs he knows he'll receive.

It's not until he's in the middle of lecture that realizes that something is amiss. It's quiet—a little too quiet for his tastes. Ok, sure, he really should be taking notes for this class; his midterm is next week and he'd be lying if he said he was prepared, and the hushed whispers around him are a common occurrence. But what he _doesn't_ hear is the quiet vibration that signifies multiple messages from his best friend.

Frowning, he checks his phone. And checks it again. But there's no blinking green light to indicate that he has a new message. He chalks it up to oversleeping and directs his attention back to his professor.

By the time he's out of his third and last class of the day, there still hasn't been a message from him, and unease begins to churn in the pits of his stomach. Finally, a vibration notifies him of a message, and he quickly swipes up to check.

 _Hayato_ : yo i just got out of class. wanna go get coffee?

Semi snorts loudly as he types out his response. He also tries to repress the disappointed feelings that have resulted from crushed hope.

 _Semi_ : dude which cup is this?

 _Hayato_ : i have no idea what you're talking about

 _Hayato_ :...but if you really have to know...it's my third.

 _Semi_ : alright, give me 10 minutes

He shoves his phone into his jacket pocket and starts for the campus coffee shop. Knowing Hayato, he's already in line, eyes ringed with sleep deprivation. Semi swears that it's like rings on a tree; he can guess the number of consecutive all nighters the guy has pulled in the past week.

This time, however, he's pleasantly surprised to find Reon, who waves at him from somewhere in the front of the line. He makes his way over and makes an apologetic face when the girl behind their small group scowls at him.

"Hey," he greets, and Hayato nods his greeting while Reon gives him a wide smile before glancing over at the menu.

"I never know what to get," he mutters, palming the back of his neck, and Hayato snorts, "Reon, my man, you can never go wrong with a caramel frap." Reon wrinkles his nose and side eyes Hayato.

"Never again. That was diabetes in a cup."

"Only if you drink it every day."

Semi rolls his eyes and pulls out his phone, eyeing the screen with disappointment. Where in the world is he?

They give their orders up at the counter, and while they wait, he checks his phone again even though he doesn't feel the vibration against his hand. Reon gazes at him curiously but doesn't comment. When their order is finally called, they grab their respective drinks and find a table away from the hoard of exhausted college students.

"Do you have to be somewhere?" Reon asks, stirring his tea. Semi looks up from his phone to see that the two are staring at him.

"No, it's just," Semi stares down at his phone before looking up at them, "have you guys heard from Satori?" They both give him a blank stare, and he huffs in frustration, "I thought he'd just overslept, but he's not even spamming the group chat with stupid memes."

"Sa—tori?" Hayato sounds much too confused for Semi's comfort. He narrows his eyes, "Yeah, Tendou Satori, you know, big red hair, looks like a reincarnated noodle?"

"Not the best image," Hayato snorts, and Semi rolls his eyes. Reon looks at him, confused, and says, "Probably the wrong guy, but I don't know a Tendou." Hayato shrugs, "Me either."

All Semi can do is gape at them with wide eyes.

"But—but," he splutters, "come on! We've all been friends since our freshman year. You guys, me, Wakatoshi, and Satori." Reon and Hayato shoot each other concerned looks, and Semi continues at a faster pace, the rising panic evident in his tone, "We meet up every Saturday? To play against Oikawa's group of friends?"

"Our middle blocker?" he tries weakly, as if that would ring a bell. To his horror, Reon shakes his head slowly, and Hayato's eyes are narrowed as he stares hard at Semi.

"I don't know how hard you hit your head last Saturday, but Matsukawa was our middle blocker, remember?" Reon tries. His expression has become concerned.

"No, no. It was Satori. He got tangled in the net cause his arm accidentally went through one of the holes. You guys really don't remember?" Semi can feel his heart start to beat faster, and the mixture of confusion and panic isn't settling well in his stomach.  

"Did you get a concussion on Saturday or something?" Hayato asks, and Semi shakes his head, throwing up his arms in frustration, "No! It didn't hit me that hard! And Satori was there!"

Now they're both starting to look concerned, and Hayato's giving him his _are-you-crazy-or-what-the-fuck_ look. Semi grabs at his phone and goes to his photos, expecting to find the multiple selfies that Tendou had saved on his phone multiple times. But to his incredulity and rising horror, there's no picture featuring his snarky, sarcastic best friend.

"No way," he mutters, "no fucking way."

A hand waves in between his face and the phone, and he tears his eyes away from the screen. Reon's eyebrows are pulled together and his mouth is curved into a frown.

"Eita, are you ok? Seriously, you look sick." Of course he looks awful—he's in the middle of a crisis. He stands abruptly, knees slamming into the table, which nearly tips all the cups over. If it weren't for Reon and Hayato's quick reflexes born from years of playing volleyball, everything would have tipped onto the ground.

Semi shoves his phone into his pocket. This is so, so wrong. Tendou isn't made up; there's no way he's made up! They had texted each other until three in the morning last night, and most of his experiences feature the red haired idiot.

"I'm gonna go," he mutters, grabbing his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. With his heart in his throat, he half-walks, half-runs from the other two, who call out to him. He pays no attention. His focus is completely on finding Tendou and proving that he exists. And if this turns out to be a joke, Semi's going to murder each and every one of them in cold blood.

When he finally exits the building, he breaks into a run, heading for Tendou's dorm. The passing students spare him a glance as he runs by, and some are alarmed at how angry he looks. Whatever, it's not like he'll see these people any time soon.

He finally reaches Tendou's door, and he takes a moment to catch his breath. The anticipation sets him on edge, and it causes his fingers to curl into fists, his nails digging into his palm. Taking a deep breath, he knocks on the door.

It takes a few seconds, but then the door swings open to reveal Wakatoshi, who's staring down at him.

"Eita? Did you run here?"

Semi nods and asks, "Is Satori here?" Wakatoshi's expression doesn't change, though one of his brows raises in confusion.

"Satori?" Semi's heart drops further into his stomach, and he stares at Wakatoshi with wide eyes full of desperation. Maybe if he stares hard enough, he can ignite some sort of memory in Wakatoshi's mind. Of course, telepathy doesn't exist for him, and all Wakatoshi does is blink at him.

"Yeah, your roommate?" Semi tries. Wakatoshi blinks again, and if Semi didn't hold him with such respect, he would have grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him vigorously.

"My roommate is Oikawa?" His words trail off, and Semi repeats the name slowly. What—what? No, Wakatoshi's roommate is Tendou. It's always been Tendou. They'd been friends in high school and decided to room with each other. They've always been roommates. Wha—what?

Semi's mind is in such a whir that he doesn't notice Wakatoshi reaching out to grab at his shoulder. He jumps at the contact and backs away, breathing heavily as he chokes out, "Sorry for bothering you. I'm gonna go." He doesn't allow him another word, turning away as he makes his way back to his own room.

His phone is starting to vibrate constantly, and a quick glimpse tells him that the group chat is active. A glimmer of hope makes way into his emotions, but it's crushed when he realizes they're talking about him. Or rather, at him.

He ignores the incoming flood of messages and sets his phone to silent mode. It's stupid, he knows, but with the absence of his best friend, everything is beginning to remind him of the idiot. The students that pass him by give him a wide berth, and it takes a good moment to realize that his brows are pulled together that and that he's bearing a fierce scowl.

When he finally reaches his room, he practically slams it open, causing his roommate, who's lounging on his bed to jerk in surprise, dropping his phone onto his face. Semi utters an apology and heavily sets his bag onto his desk chair before flopping face first onto his bed.

"Long day?" his roommate asks, and Semi turns his head to watch him rub at his reddened nose.

"Too long," he mutters, turning again so that he's facing the wall. As he feels his eyes close and his breathing slow, he pushes the overwhelming thoughts out of his mind. The hope that this day has only been a nightmare rather than reality is strong, and he expects to wake up to a new day with his best friend.

 

 

\--

 

 

_"Eita-kun!" The voice is loud, drawing the attention of the people around him, and Semi groans into his hands on habit._

_"Eita-kun!!" Semi turns, and his annoyance becomes fleeting, giving way to a surge of relief. His lanky friend stops in front of him, and Semi drinks him in._

_"You're real," he stutters, and he brings his hand up to hover above Tendou's arm. He doesn't want to make the contact—he knows the disappointment would be crushing if he didn't feel real. Tendou takes a step back, his eyes running down Semi's form._

_"You're here," he breathes, eyes wide with wonder. He also brings his hand up, as if to touch Semi's fingers, but then he lowers his arm and gestures over to their left._

_"Wanna sit?" he asks, and Semi nods, unable to process that he's here—Tendou is real, and he hasn't gone mad. He follows his best friend, eyeing his gravity defying hair and broad shoulders and stifles a muffled cry of relief. Tendou turns his head at the sound, and Semi schools his features into a neutral expression. If Tendou heard, he doesn't comment, giving Semi a small, uncharacteristic smile._

_They stop in front of a tree, and Tendou flops onto the ground, back hitting the trunk. Semi slides down beside him, never taking his eyes off of him._

_"It's not every day that we get cool weather," Tendou remarks, and Semi finally notices that it's dark outside. He also realizes that the people around them have no faces, or at least, their features have been blurred._

_"What the fuck!" he yells, and Tendou looks in their direction, then at Semi. Cocking his head, he raises a brow._

_"Eita-kun, it's just a dream." Tendou squeezes his eyes shut, and suddenly, they're alone. Baffled, Semi can only gape in astonishment._

_"Dream?" he repeats. Tendou nods, face becoming grim. But then he gives Semi a breathtaking smile._

_"At least you're here. I can't believe you're here." The words seem to strike something in him because Semi turns to him with a questioning look. Tendou leans back against the tree and folds his hands behind his head._

_"When I woke up today, it was like you didn't exist. Hayato and Reon didn't even remember who you were. They told me Oikawa—yes,_ that _Oikawa—played setter for our team last Saturday." At this, Semi's mouth falls open._

 _"Wait-wait! When_ I _woke up,_ you _didn't exist. It was like you were never a part of_ my _life. Hayato and Reon thought I had gone mental._ "

_Tendou whips his head toward Semi, who doesn't know what else he can say. It's too coincidental._

_"This—ok. Weird dream." They sit in shocked silence until Semi feels a pressure on his chest. He groans and leans forward, grimacing in discomfort._

_"I think—something's happening," he utters, not seeing the concerned expression marring Tendou's face._

_"What do you mea—"_

Semi jerks awake, breathing heavily as he slowly sits up. No way. There's no way the Tendou in his dream is going through the same thing. Is that supposed to be some sort of life riddle? He never appreciates these kind of dreams because they always end up forming more questions than answers.

But—but what if they're in the same dream? Together? Semi's a hundred percent sure that Tendou exists. Otherwise, all of his memories with the idiot would be made up, and there is no way Semi's creative enough to come up with a perfect story with such a perfect character. If Tendou really is a made up character, let alone _Semi's_ made up character, then he shouldn't be as annoying as he is in Semi's memories.

He grapples in the dark until his fingers curl around the hard edges of his phone and winces when the screen explodes with light. Through narrowed eyes, he navigates to his photos. Again, he's disappointed by the lack of Tendou in his photos.

Semi spends the rest of the night convincing himself that he isn't going crazy and that he hasn't been thrown into the middle of a bad sci-fi film.

 

 

\--

 

 

"Dude, you look like shit," Hayato says, swirling his frappuccino around with his straw before lifting it to lick off the whipped cream.

Semi grunts in response and doesn't lift his head from the table. Wakatoshi speaks up from somewhere to his left.

"You look pale. Do you need anything?" Semi grunts again, and he can hear Reon reassuring everyone that Semi's probably just tired...even though it's three in the afternoon. It doesn't matter, and if he's being honest with himself, it would have been better for him to just stay in bed, as he basically spent all of his classes writing down theories and ideas that could explain why the Tendou in his dream was experiencing the same thing he was. The only way he's going to find out is if one of his theories is right and that he can only meet Tendou in his dreams.

Yawning, he grabs his backpack, ignoring their concerned stares, and stands. The glare from the window momentarily blinds him and the right side of his body flares up in pain, and suddenly, his head is throbbing wildly. He huffs out a breath, as if winded, and catches himself on his chair before he can collapse completely.

"Eita?" Reon's voice is frantic, and there's suddenly a lot of people yelling his name. He takes a deep breath, and the pain ebbs away.

"I'm good," he says, waving at them, but they still have expressions of worry on their faces, "I'm just going to go back to my room."

Reon stands as well, grabbing his things, "I'll walk with you. I forgot my notebook in my room." Semi nods, waiting patiently as he taps at the back of the chair. They walk in silence after saying bye to the others and reassuring them that Semi is fine.

It's another bright day, and Semi raises his hand to cover his eyes at the sun's glare. Normally, he doesn't mind the sun, especially after Tendou poked fun at his pale skin ("Vampires aren't in style anymore, Eita." "Shut up."), but today, it seems exceedingly bright.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Reon asks. Semi doesn't answer his question, "Are you sure Satori doesn't exist?" Reon turns, grabbing at his wrist and giving him a stern stare.

"Do I seem like the type of person who'd forget someone that easily?" His gaze is intense, and Semi can only stare back in shock. Then he turns away, ashamed, and shakes his head. Reon lets go and scratches the back of his head.

"Sorry, didn't mean to get all defensive, but really," he pauses, unsure of how to broach the topic, "why are you so convinced he exists? No one else seems to remember him except you."

Semi feels the doubt creep up on him again, and he sighs, "I—I'm completely sure. I _know_ he's real. I have so many memories of all of us doing things together, and there's no way that's random. It's just too bizarre to have someone that doesn't exist inserted into all of my memories, isn't it? I know I sound crazy—" He shoots a glare when Reon opens his mouth to protest, "But I'm completely sure Satori exists."

They've reached the dorm entrance, and Semi swipes his card and tugs open the door. The cool air is a relief to him as they enter the building.

"Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow," Semi says, as he heads for his room while Reon makes his way to the elevators but not before shooting an uncertain smile in his direction. When he gets to his room, he immediately notices the absence of his roommate and lets out a breath of relief. He's cool with his roommate, but as with anyone else that he knows, it's always nice to have some peace to himself—which is usually never the case with Satori, who would be lounging on Semi's bed whenever he gets home from classes. How he manages to get in without a key is forever a mystery to Semi.

He flings his things onto his desk and slumps onto the bed. The urge to sleep—to see Satori—is strong, though the sun is still beaming outside like a beacon of false hope. Semi groans into the mattress. _How poetic_ , he thinks bitterly.

Soon, however, nightfall comes— _thank goodness—_ and he gets ready for bed a lot earlier than usual. His roommate, who came back about an hour ago and is scrolling through his phone, looks up at him with a questioning expression.

"Eager to go to bed?"

"Exhausted."

 

 

\--

 

 

_Semi scans the area before him. This time, he's somewhere familiar and though the blurred faces are still creepy as hell, they don't bother him as much as they did the first time. It's also dark, and even though he has no way of telling the time, he just knows it's a little past midnight._

_He recognizes the setting and faint lighting surrounding the area, and if his guess is correct, then—_

_He turns, spotting the quaint cafe at the edge of campus. Shoving his hand into his pockets, he heads over, but it's like walking through a pool. His legs are sluggish, and it's taking quite a lot of effort just to take a few steps towards the building._

_Faintly, just barely, he hears Tendou's voice in the back of his head say,_ I think this is a dream _, and he forces his mind to relax. He breathes a sigh of relief when the pressuring weight is lifted from his limbs._

_Free—he feels more free. He blinks, and suddenly, he's sitting at a table at the cafe's patio, a steaming mug of green tea sitting on the round table in front of him. He blinks again, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands, and when he looks up, he's joined by a mischievous smile and wide red eyes._

_Tendou nods at him in greeting, then takes a long drag of his hot chocolate. A bit of whipped cream sticks to his upper lip, and he wipes it off with the back of his hand._

_"It's always nice to see you," Tendou says after a content sigh, leaning back into his chair. Semi echoes the sentiment, though he doesn't voice it out loud. Instead, he hums in agreement and moves to pick up the cup. Rather than feeling the smooth porcelain on his fingertips, his hand passes through, and he gapes at the phenomenon._

_Tendou cocks a brow, "You're a weird Semisemi. Most of them are able to move normally in my other dreams." Then he mutters, "This is a weird one."_

_"_ Your _dreams?" Semi says, the tension building in his voice. Tendou tilts his head, "Yeah...? I mean none of this is happening in real life." He lets go of his cup, and Semi shouts, lunging forward to catch it but can only stare as it floats midair._

_"If this were real life, could that happen?" Tendou smirks, as if it's an everyday thing._

_Semi splutters, "No, this isn't_ your _dream. It's_ my _dream." He glares at Tendou, who only stares back with a blank expression._

_"No," he says slowly, narrowing his eyes, as if the idea is too difficult for Semi to comprehend, "I'm in bed right now. It's been an awful two days, and for some reason, you only exist in my dreams." Semi's eyes widen, and he points at Tendou, then to himself._

_"Wait, wait. I don't exist when you're awake?"_

_Tendou sighs, slumping down further in the metal chair, "Yeah, no one believes you're real. And all my pictures with you are gone. You're not even on facebook—it's like you never existed in the first place." Suddenly, Semi slams his hands down on the table as he stands, leaning towards him with wide eyes._

_"Satori, Satori! It's the same with me! When I wake up, it's like you never existed. Reon, Hayato, and Wakatoshi don't remember who you are. Wakatoshi's roommate is_ Oikawa _, for goodness sake," Semi says, gesturing with frantic hand movements. Tendou only stares._

_"No way. Weirdest dream ever," Tendou mutters, looking away. "Wakatoshi would never room with Oikawa."_

_"Focus! It's the only thing that makes sense!" Semi snaps, voice growing steadily louder. "Neither of us exist unless we're dreaming. Tell me that's not weird or coincidental for fuck's sake."_

_Tendou blink., "So you mean to say," he starts slowly, "that we only see each other when we're dreaming? How do I know this isn't just my dreams acting up."_

_Semi throws up his hands, "I dunno. Maybe it's cause I_ do _exist, and I'm not just a part of your weird ass imagination. What other piece of proof do you need? Something's going on, and we need to figure this out."_

 _Suddenly, a flare of pain lights up somewhere near his ribs, and he collapses, barely standing upright and curling into himself, arms coming up to hug his stomach. It's overwhelmingly_ awful _, and Semi can feel the tears prick at the corners of his eyes._

_"Eita-kun!" Tendou's voice is much closer. Semi can see his hands coming up to his shoulders, but before they can make contact—_

Semi gasps. So the pain in the dream is real after all, and it blooms across the entirety of his right side. His ribs feel bruised and definitely cracked, and his limbs are on fire. The air is getting harder to breathe as his lungs collapse, and his throat is blocked by god-knows-what. His attempts at crying for help are pitiful, and he manages a small squeak before everything subsides.

It's all gone in an instant, and he breathes a sigh of relief, slumping onto his bed and pulling his pillow up to cover his face.

What an fucking terrible way to start the day.

 

 

\--

 

 

It's hard to bring up the question, even if Reon is the most patient man he's ever met. That being said, Semi looks up every few minutes to stare at him. The words roll around his tongue, and he's not entirely sure how to phrase it correctly.

Finally, Reon sighs and looks up from his textbook, rolling his neck from the hours he spent bent over his work. Semi gulps, and suddenly his throat is dry.

"What's up?" The words cause Semi to start, and he accidentally drops his pen.

"I-uh." Damn it, he hasn't exactly strung together the right words. Reon waits patiently, the bags under his eyes an indicator that he needs this little break. Sighing deeply, Semi swoops to pick up the fallen pencil and begins chewing on the cap.

"I know I've asked this a million times, but uh," Semi pauses, looking around the library. There's only one other person in the area, and they're asleep. Though that's the case, Semi lowers his voice to a hush, "Do you really not know Satori?"

The light in Reon's already dead looking eyes dim a little, and he sets down his highlighter.

"Yes, I don't remember a Satori. If he's as eccentric as you've described him, I don't think I'd forget that kind of person ever," Reon sighs, rubbing the area between his eyes, "Why are you asking me again?"

Semi's gaze falters, and it falls to the open notebook in his lap, "I don't know. I just—I _need_ the validation that Satori was—is real. Look, I know it's really awkward for me to keep bringing up the question, but don't you think it's really weird that I have an entire back story for him? That I know almost everything about him? I wouldn't just make someone up; I'm not five anymore, so there's no way I can just come up with an imaginary friend on whim."

Reon sighs deeply through his nose, and when Semi finally looks up, shame and embarrassment evident in his eyes, he's surprised to see Reon's sympathetic smile.

"Listen, I don't think you're crazy. We've known each other since our first year of high school, and look at us now—old people in college," he chuckles quietly and Semi finds himself smiling back, "I would like to think that I know you pretty well by now, so I know you wouldn't be doing this if there wasn't a reason. Anyway—"

He stands, shutting his book, and begins to pack up his things, "Do you want to talk about it? I can't study anymore. We've spent—what—four hours here already? Let's blow this popsicle stand."

Semi rolls his eyes, silently saying thanks to the deities above that Reon puts up with his crap, and says, "Only you would say that."

Soon, they're outside, and Reon stretches his arms above his head, "Ah, the sweet smell of freedom and procrastination." Then he turns to Semi, his eyes crinkling when he grins at him, "So, tell me about your problem."

And so Semi does.

He tells him about waking up and finding out that one of his best friends has just suddenly disappeared, erased from everyone's memories. He tells him about the lack of red-haired idiot on his phone and social media. He tells him about the dreams and how both he and Tendou seem to be struggling through the same predicament. He tells him about how Tendou says _he_ doesn't exist in his world and how the situation is too coincidental to be random. He leaves out the pain that resonates through his body at multiple points throughout the day because he knows that Reon would force him to go see a doctor.

Throughout his explanation, Reon nods and hums, and he purses his lips, as if in deep thought, and Semi is thankful that not once does he give him the look that Semi's gone insane. When he finishes his explanation, Reon is silent.

"I know it sounds crazy, but at this point, I just don't know what to do anymore," Semi says, shoving his hands into his pockets. Reon turns to him with a helpless smile, "I wish I could help. No, really I do," he says when he sees Semi's doubtful expression, "It's just...your dreams are a little beyond me. All I can say is that you guys should keep talking in your dreams and find out what's up."

It's not what Semi wants to hear because he already knows that's the only thing he can do. What he wants is an impossible answer as to why this is happening to him and how he can bring Tendou back. Semi swallows the lump of bitter disappointment in his throat and continues to trudge forward. He does a poor job of hiding it because Reon brings up a new topic.

"You don't have to answer this if you don't want to, and I don't mean to pry—"

"But you're going to pry."

"Definitely," Reon clarifies, "But can you tell me more about what Satori is like?"

The question comes out of nowhere and leaves Semi wide eyed and slack jawed. It really shouldn't surprise him that he's asking—the question was bound to come up anyway. But for some reason, it renders Semi's mind blank.

It's not that he has nothing to say about Tendou; it's more that he has _too_ much to say about him, which is why his brain has most likely jumped into hyperdrive and wiped out. He palms the back of his neck and scuffs the ground with the heel of his beat up shoes.

"Um," he starts intelligently, "I guess the best way to describe him is loud. And I don't mean just his voice because I swear, sometimes I can hear him talk across campus. It's more of no matter where he goes, he always has this sort of air to him that grabs people's attention, and it's not just because of his looks. Like he's tall and has bright red hair and weird ass eyes, but that's not why people stare at him. Oh, and he's so fucking annoying. I swear, he gets us into so much trouble.

You remember that time when—well, no you don't remember, but once, somehow he got us all in trouble with the university because he convinced us to swim in the university fountain, even Wakatoshi, though I have no idea what he said to get him to jump in. But we all smelled like crap afterwards, and I had to take three showers just to get the smell out of my hair. Also, he can be an ass. Oh god, I can't count the number of times he's taunted the other teams. It's a habit he brought with him from high school, and it does a good job in getting the other team riled up. Someone had to hold back Hanamaki from punching him during our first game."

"He sounds like a quite a guy," Reon says, eyebrows raised. "Not to sound presumptuous, but he sounds like someone a little hard to get along with."

"Oh, he can be," Semi snorts. But as he recounts memory after memory of their experiences and adventures, he finds himself smiling fondly and continues, "He can definitely come off as an asshole. But when you really get to know him, and I mean _really_ know him, you learn that he's just like any of us. He's got this facade that comes from insecurity, but how is that different than anyone else?

He's also the most loyal friend you'll ever have. It doesn't matter if you're day's gone to shit; he'll do anything to brighten it up. He'll do stupid stuff to get you to laugh, and it works most of the time. Sarcasm and wit are his primary languages, and sometimes he says some insensitive things, but if you tell him, he'll apologize because he's not _that_ kind of ass. Just—one of the things you're certain of when he becomes your friend is that he'll always have your back, no matter the circumstances.

He can also be pretty fun to be around. You're never bored when you're with him, like he'll bring up some random, weird topic in the group chat, and we'd talk about it till three in the morning. And it'd be stupid stuff too, like 'do you think frogs get weirded out by their own tongues?' But he mainly just talked about his mangas or animes. It's funny cause he always tried to look cool, but in reality, he's just a giant nerd."

When he looks at Reon, he's surprised by the knowing grin his friend throws at him.

"What?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing," Reon says, like he's withholding a secret. Semi narrows his gaze at him, and Reon looks away, smile still playing at the corner of his lips. They continue walking in silence, and as Semi sneaks a few peeks at Reon, he sees that the smile has yet to go away. The final straw occurs when he actually starts _humming_.

"Ok, what?" Semi says, pivoting on his heel. They both stop in their tracks, and Reon shrugs and shakes his head like he has no idea what Semi's talking about.

"Reon," Semi growls, his patience drawn dangerously taut. His friend purses his lips, and Semi knows Reon is internally debating whether to tell Semi or not. He knows his friend well enough to know that he'll cave just a little, and that's better than nothing.

"Just—you see him as your best friend, right?"

Semi nods, unsure as to what he's starting to insinuate.

"Maybe you should reevaluate how you feel about him." Semi tilts his head in confusion, his brows drawing together. "What do you mean by that?"

His friend draws two pinched fingers across his lips, and Semi huffs out a frustrated breath.

"Alright, whatever."

 

 

\--

 

 

_"Long day, Semisemi?"_

_Today they're in the middle of a sunflower field. Why? Semi doesn't know. They sit close to each other, Semi cross legged and hunched forward, Tendou leaning back onto the palms of his hands. Their thighs just barely brush._

_"A bit too long," Semi mutters, and he forcefully tears a petal from the sunflower he's sure he's killing in his too tight grip. The bright yellow of the flower contrasts deeply with his sour mood, and he doesn't bother to hide the fact, angrily yanking out petals as he broods over Reon's vague suggestion._

_"Wanna talk about it?" Semi shakes his head, and he pinches a petal between his fingers, feeling the smooth, soft texture run across the pads of his fingertips. The sensation only serves to remind him that this is all just a dream because there's no way that each petal is perfectly shaped and feels like velvet._

_Tendou hums and after a beat of silence, says, "My days feel longer without you."_

_"Same," Semi echoes the sentiment, dropping the dead flower onto the pile that's steadily growing in front of him. He turns to face him and the sight dries his mouth and wipes away any form of coherent thought. Because at that very moment, Tendou is a work of art._

_He has his head tilted back, face basking in the warmth that the sun provides, and the light paints shadows across his sharp features. A small smile curls at the end of his lips, an indication that he's pleased with their current dream. His eyes are closed, which only serves to elongate the shadows that his lashes cast, and his cheeks are flushed red. The field of yellow that surrounds him enhances his scarlet hair and draws out his red shirt, and Semi is sure he's staring at the embodiment of fire._

_Slowly, his eyes flutter open, and he notices Semi gazing at him. Throwing him a lazy smile, Tendou locks eyes with him, and Semi finds that his hand has moved on its own so that it's facing his best friend palm first. Without a word, Tendou understands what he wants, and he reaches out as well, head cocking to the side with curiosity._

_Right before their palms touch, they both hesitate and Semi holds his breath in anticipation. Suddenly, Tendou's fingers curl forward to wrap around his hand, and the sensation that hits him is overwhelming. Tendou's palm is warm and rough and_ real _, and his fingertips are calloused from years of playing volleyball, just like the way Semi remembers it to be. Semi curls forward, breath hitching, and Tendou lets out a shuddery breath. He pulls back but lets his fingertips graze on Tendou's palm, overcome with a multitude of feelings._

_The emotion that expands in his chest is a kaleidoscope of feelings, a palette of wildly contrasting colors that work together to paint something so achingly beautiful. It's a crescendo of waves that swell and pull him under, drowning him deeply into its cool depths. And the realization hits him hard._

_He looks away from their connected hands to see Tendou gazing with wonder at their connection, and he gulps down the words that threaten to escape from his lips. Then Tendou turns to him, eyes shining, smile stretching across his face, and their dream suddenly feels a lot warmer, like the sun has inched closer. In his peripheral, the flowers have brightened into a spectacular show of canary yellow and the sky, a brilliant azure._

_"Satori," he breathes._

_"Semisemi," Tendou says, eyes twinkling with amusement and something else Semi can't quite put his finger on, and he moves forward to intertwine their fingers. They linger in that position until Semi wakes._

His eyes gradually open, and something wet trails down the side of his face. Bringing a hand up, he catches the droplet, rubbing it between his fingers. Taking a shaky breath, he sits up, burying his face into the palms of his hands.

So this is what Reon meant.

 

 

\--

 

 

He knows he's being uncharacteristically quiet, if the looks his friends are giving him indicate anything. They're all sitting in Hayato's room after a long day, and Semi leans back against the bed frame, eyes scanning the book in front of him but not absorbing a single word.

Reon shoots him concerned looks from across the small room, and Hayato tries a little harder to be inconspicuous, peeking at him when he thinks Semi won't notice. Wakatoshi lounges on the bed, novel in hand and oblivious to the emotional turmoil rolling through Semi's being.

Something hits his socked foot, and he looks down at the manga sitting at his feet. His eyes flit up for a moment and sees Hayato's outstretched hand.

"You look like you needed a break," he says, shrugging and turning back to his phone. Manga, one of Tendou's favorite things to pester Semi about, but this time, there is no Tendou. No Tendou to drape himself on top of Semi, cheek rubbing up against his own to annoy him. No Tendou to lean against Semi, eyes riveted by the manga panels that flash by as he flips page after page. No Tendou to steal body heat from as he's never not touching Semi.

As dramatic as it sounds, Semi feels empty. Completely deprived of the loud presence that has always stuck by him for as long as he remembers. And this loneliness resonates deeply in his chest. With each breath he takes, he feels more and more hollow.

"Eita, you?" He looks up to see Reon standing, hand on the doorknob. Everyone in the room is staring at him with a mixture of barely concealed worry and expectation.

"What?"

"I said I was gonna go get snacks. Do you wanna come with?" Semi nods, barely aware of his own movements, and stands, shoving his hands into his pockets. They shut the door quietly and make their way down to the school store in silence.

"You can think out loud, if that'll help you," Reon says, scanning the bags of chips that line the shelf. Semi startles, and he hunches over. He does have words he wants to say, but they taste a little odd rolling around his mouth.

"I—thought about what you said," he begins, pausing to swallow heavily.

"About?" Reon prompts, grabbing a few bags and observing them. He doesn't press on, allowing Semi to stew in his thoughts.

"Feelings," Semi chokes out the word, "specifically, you know, for Satori." Reon hums, makes a decision, and throws the bags into the small basket. They move on to the small candy aisle, and he tosses a variety of candy in as well.

"I think, I may like him more than just a friend," he says, keeping his eyes glued to the ground, "I mean, it's just—it's hard and confusing since he doesn't exist here. But I miss him a lot more than I initially did."

"Why is that?" They move to check out.

"Because I guess I always thought he'd always be here, with us—with me. I never imagined a day where he wasn't bothering me or at least talking to me. We talked almost every day, sometimes till early morning cause he wouldn't stop talking about anime, the nerd. And then he'd go on forever about how the manga is always better," he scoffs. Then his voice softens, "I miss him."

A hand claps on his shoulder, and he looks up. Reon's giving that sympathetic look again, and Semi scowls without venom.

"I'm sure you'll find him. It'll work out."

He allows himself a small, bitter smile at the words. "I hope so."

 

 

\--

 

 

_The first thing he notices is that it's dark._

_Not the soothing dark that overlaps the city when nightfall occurs. This kind of dark is endless to the point where Semi can't even see his own outstretched hands. The panic starts, riling up his heartbeat, and he can hear the roar of blood._

_Faintly, through it, he hears shouting and something slams into the area to his right, making him jump._

_"Come out, monster, come out!"_

_"Come on, you wanted to play—"_

_"You already know what happens when we catch it!"_

_"Kill the monster!"_

_A quiet sniffle draws his attention to the other side, and he finally notices that he's inside a small storage closet. In the corner is a little boy, curled in on himself, hands clamped determinedly over his ears._

_"Satori?" he mouths, slowly moving closer. There's no mistaking that bright red hair. Crouching down in front of the child, he can hear him cry more clearly._

_"Satori?" he asks, voice soft. The boy gasps, head snapping up, and they gaze at each other for a brief moment before he scrambles away from Semi._

_"No, no, no, no," he chants, throwing his hands up in front of him, as if to ward him away. Caught off guard, Semi panics, wildly shaking his head and hands, and tries to send the message that he has no intention of harming him. If possible, the voices outside grow louder, and Tendou's cries increase._

_"Satori, it's me! It's Eita!" he says frantically. Tendou only shakes his head, rivulets of tears lining his cheeks._

_"Please don't hurt me," he begs, and Semi feels a torrid of emotion: panic, frustration, loss, and finally, sadness._

_"I'm not going to hurt you," he says, "I promise." Eyes locked on with Tendou's, he conveys as much sincerity as possible until Tendou finally nods, and Semi gradually moves closer with slow steps. When he's in front of him again, he holds up a hand. His heart breaks just a little more when the boy flinches._

_Placing his hand on the red hair, he ruffles it lightly and moves both hands to his shoulders. Looking him straight in the eye, he mutters, "It's going to be all right. I'm going to make sure no one hurts you." Then he moves to sit next to the boy, who sniffs and wipes at his nose with his arm._

_"Thank you," Tendou says, voice timid. Semi nods._

_Another bang resonates through the room, and Tendou leaps onto Semi's lap, face hidden in Semi's chest, hands fisting into his shirt. Swallowing heavily, Semi brings a hand up to lightly smooth down Tendou's hair while he rubs his back, muttering soothing words._

_"It's ok. I promise, I won't let them hurt you. It's ok, it's ok..."_

_They linger in that position for a while until the voices fade, and they're left in silence._

_Gradually, Tendou begins to calm down, and Semi is relieved that his breathing has returned to normal and that, though his shirt still has a damp patch, it's not getting anymore wet. He crawls off his lap, and Semi feels the loss of warmth and almost pulls the boy back. Instead, he turns to him and is surprised when he sees older Tendou,_ his _Tendou sitting in front of him._

_"Thank you, Eita-kun," he says, uncharacteristically soft, and Semi is simultaneously relieved and embarrassed when he hears his voice. Compared to the little boy, his voice is much deeper, more rich, and it makes something flutter in Semi's belly._

_"Anytime," he says, and before he can stop himself, he reaches up to brush a stray tear from Tendou's face, thumb tenderly swiping the skin under his eye. Tendou releases a shaky sigh and leans into his hand, nuzzling against Semi's palm. His heart stutters in his chest, as he's never seen such vulnerability and rawness on his best friend's face, and he gently guides him toward his shoulder. But Tendou has other ideas and moves so that his head is resting on Semi's lap._

_He freezes for a moment, unused to such an intimate position. As Tendou makes himself comfortable, Semi forces himself to relax and begins to card his fingers through the plethora of scarlet._

_"It was a memory," Tendou finally says, voice muffled against Semi's legs. "When I was four years old, no one wanted to play with me, so when someone offered, I immediately said yes. I didn't realize that they'd be 'hunting' me. They wanted to 'kill' me, aka beat the shit out of me. I realized that with the first hit and ran to the storage room and locked myself in."_

_As he's speaking, Semi feels the anger festering in his chest, and he accidentally tugs on Tendou's hair, prompting a whine. He immediately apologizes and resumes with much more care._

_"I stayed in that room until they all got bored and left. And I was alone—usually I'm alone." Then he turns so that he's got a clear view of Semi's face, "But this time, I'm not."_

_"Anytime, anytime," Semi murmurs, and he tilts his head back, letting it knock into the shelf behind him. There's a growing pain within him, and he soon realizes that it's physical pain, not emotional like he had thought before. Not wanting to disturb the peace in Tendou's expression, he holds it in, keeping his face expressionless as it blooms across his body. He gulps as the pain along his ribs intensifies, and the pressure pushes against his chest._

_"Satori," he wheezes, and at his tone, Tendou sits bolt right, staring at Semi, who grimaces at the burning sensation._

_"No, you—you have the pain too?" Tendou says, and his eyes scan Semi's body. Tendou reaches out to grab at Semi's hand and grips it tightly._

_"Listen to me, I think I know what's going on now—"_

 

 

_\--_

 

 

He wakes with a gasp, unable to contain the painful breaths that escape his lips in wheezes. His lungs feel as if they're collapsing within him, and suddenly, he can barely move his limbs. Squeezing his eyes shut, he groans as the fire slowly ebbs away, leaving him to drift off again.

 

 

\--

 

 

_"Eita, we don't have a lot of time, but you need to listen to me." He's laying on a familiar surface, and he snaps his eyes open, gazing at his surroundings._

_He's still in his room._

_And Tendou looms over him from the side._

_Semi yelps and startles but freezes when his body goes on fire again. The sunlight pouring through the blinds is enough to blind him, and his vision is filled with white. The ache is spreading again, and he faintly feels a hand cradling his own._

_He opens his mouth, but only a groan passes through. Words are far too difficult when his teeth are gritted together to keep from shouting._

_"You'll be all right, ok?" The hand rubs soothing circles around his palm. "Can you hear me?"_

_Stifling a pained whimper, he gives a brief nod, clenching his teeth when his head begins to throb wildly._

_"Good." The hand tightens its hold on him. "Don't freak out too much, but I think  you're going to wake up first. This is all a dream—"_

 

 

_\--_

 

 

"Eita!" He opens his eyes, delirious and dazed, to see Reon, Hayato, and Wakatoshi crowding around his bed.

"He has a fever. Hayato, go get a wet towel!" He hears scrambling and a door slamming and feels a hand against his forehead, pushing back his drenched bangs.

"Fuck, this is bad." Semi almost wants to laugh—he's only ever heard Reon curse twice in all his time knowing him, so he's probably in a worse situation than he thinks.  The door slams again, and the hand is replaced by a cool towel. Water droplets fall in a slowing rhythm down the side of his head, sliding into his hair, and it's a cool but temporary reprieve.

"We need to get him to a hospital." That's Wakatoshi's voice. Reon mutters something faint in agreement.

"How're we going to get him there?!" Hayato's voice is full of panic, and suddenly, it's just too noisy. All he wants is to go back to sleep, to hear Tendou's voice—to hear Tendou's answers to this impossible situation. The voices start to taper off, and he doesn't realize it when he drifts off again.

 

 

\--

 

 

_"This is all a dream!" Tendou blurts out. They're in the same setting but devoid of Reon, Hayato, and Wakatoshi._

_"No shit, Sherlock," Semi grits out. Tendou huffs an impatient breath but doesn't bother replying to that._

_"No, listen to me. All of it—you, me, daytime—all of it is a dream. And you're going to wake up first. If you don't believe me, open a book and try to read it."_

_Semi opens his mouth to respond but barely keeps from screaming when everything flares up once again. Tendou grips at his shoulder, pushing him down firmly but gently._

_"It's going to be ok. It's all going to be ok. When you wake up, everything will be ok—"_

 

 

\--

 

 

"Book," he manages to gasp. Reon furrows his brows, "We need to get you to a hospita—"

"Book," he wheezes again, voice rising in desperation. Hayato grabs a random book from the floor and holds it up.

"Open," he coughs, and Hayato scrambles to open it, fingers shaking with newfound panic. Finally, he flips it to the first page, and Semi gazes at it, eyes widening with horror when he realizes that all the words on the page are scrambled and jumbled, making absolutely no sense. He desperately scans the page again, and this time, the words have changed to read some other incoherent passage. _Dream?_ he thinks, and he realizes that he'd been so preoccupied with this situation that any reading that he'd done the past few days had been while dazed and unfocused. The pain flares up again, and this time it's absolutely unbearable.

He screams as he's lifted from the bed, and Wakatoshi and Hayato drop him from surprise. He lands with a choked wheeze and squeezes his eyes shut, fingers fisting into his sheets.

Fire—that's all he feels. Licking at him, burning him from the inside out. The faint sound of crunching metal rings in his ears, and the flames rise even higher.

 _Please, help me_ , he thinks before everything goes black again.

 

 

\--

 

 

_This time, they're in the field of flowers, the same one where they first made contact, and Semi is cradled in Tendou's arms. The warmth is comforting, and Semi welcomes the heat brought upon by Tendou's body._

_"You'll be ok. I promise you'll be ok. I don't think I can tell you exactly what's going on, but I can guarantee you'll be ok. All of it, even when you 'wake up'—it's all a dream. None of this is real, which is why it's possible that neither of us exist in each other's worlds."_

_Semi's eyes dart around, and Tendou smiles wearily, reading him easily._

_"Don't ask about the flowers. I'm self-indulging myself." They sit there in silence, Tendou rubbing his hand up and down Semi's arms, and he shivers._

_Then he looks down at Semi, eyes full of such sadness and adoration, that Semi's breath is caught in his throat. He brings his head down until their foreheads are touching._

_"You're going to wake up first. I can feel it, and it's going to be soon. I can't guarantee I'll wake after you, but if I don't wake at all—" He lifts his head and presses a small kiss on his forehead._

_"I'll leave you with this."_

 

 

_\--_

 

 

Slowly, everything comes into focus, and he gasps, the light above him filling his vision with white. He grapples at the sheets, fisting them in his fingers, and his eyes dart around in panic. Everything is white—too white: from the walls to the sheets to the gown that he dons.

"Eita!" That's his mother's voice. She scrambles to his side, cradling his face before pressing something on the wall. All he can see is his mother's pinched face as she cries, smoothing her fingers over his face. His father stands somewhere behind her, hand cupping his mouth, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Someone unfamiliar appears, hovering over him, firing rapid questions one after the other. Semi can only stare in confusion.

"Semi-san, do you remember who you are? How old are you? Do you remember what happened?" Everyone gazes at him: one inquisitive, the other two tearful. He swallows and his throat burns from lack of use.

"Water," he manages to croak, and his mother grabs her bag, rifling through before pulling out a bottle of water. Uncapping it, she holds it to his lips, and he gulps a mouthful, choking at the sudden sensation and spitting it onto the sheets.

"Take your time," the doctor says, watching him carefully.

"Semi Eita, twenty, no," he rasps. His mother flits around, unsure as to how to help.

"Semi-san, do you recall anything?" He thinks back and finds that everything comes up blank. Shaking his head, he winces in discomfort and hisses when he moves his limbs.

"Careful, careful," the doctor says, placing a hand on his arm.

"Semi-san, I got you guys some water." A familiar voice comes from the other side of a room, followed by a gasp and pounding footsteps.

"Eita!" Reon shouts, quickly setting the cups down, water sloshing over the side. Semi gazes at him carefully, taking in his haggard appearance, the bags underneath his eyes darker than ever. "Thank god. You're finally awake."

"Finally?" he repeats, and Reon shares a solemn look with his parents. They nod, and he continues.

"You've been out for the past week, since the accident." His tone is grim, and he swallows heavily. Gradually, Semi remembers the blinding light and the sound of crunching metal.

"Accident?" he says slowly, "Car?" Reon nods, and his eyes slide to the side, fidgeting with discomfort.

"You broke, like, everything. Well, not everything, but a lot of your bones on your right side were broken or fractured. And then you were out for an entire week—everyone was worried that you would fall into a permanent coma," Reon says.

"How?"

"A drunk driver hit you." Semi blinks slowly, pieces coming together. Passenger seat—he was in the passenger seat, so who was—

"Satori!" he gasps, wincing and grunting when he tries to sit up, "Where's Satori?! Where is he?!"

Reon makes a face, and Semi feels dread fill his gut. His parents refuse to make eye contact, and the doctor sighs.

"Rest up. We'll get you some more morphine," he says, rubbing his face. Then he turns and heads out of the room. Semi feels his breath become shallow, and his eyes feel hot, burning in that familiar way only when there will be many, many tears.

"Tell me," he grits out, "Or I swear, I'll go find him myself."

His parents share a look, and then his mother sighs, allowing herself to sit at his side.

"He's—he's in a bad shape. The car collided with his side head on, so he's under a lot of care right now. He hasn't woken up." _Yet_ , he thinks, swallowing the word, _he hasn't woke up yet. Why didn't you say 'yet?' He's going to wake up—he's Satori. He can't—_

Semi gulps, the sudden onslaught of tears catching him off guard.

The room falls into silence after that, save for shaky breaths, sniffling, and a shattering heart.

 

 

\--

 

 

It's another few days before Semi's able to shuffle around without any help.

The first thing he does is make his way to Tendou's room. Standing outside the door, he takes a quivering breath and mentally prepares himself. Then he twists the handle and swings open the door.

The preparation does nothing to quell the feeling of being punched in the gut, and he shuffles forward, settling on the chair next to the bed. Eyes shut, deep, rhythmic breaths, and an expression of peace—to anyone, it'd be easy to presume that Tendou was just taking a short nap. To Semi, it's wrong. All wrong.

Rather than peace, he sees a face devoid of life. Even when sleeping, Tendou is full of it, either muttering in his sleep, snoring loudly, or drooling a wet patch onto Semi's shirt.  And now—Tendou looks too different. Too quiet. Too serene. Even the scarlet in his hair seems faded, his entire being muted. Semi leans forward, letting his good hand rest against Tendou's in a quiet caress.

"I remember a lot," he says quietly. This is the first time he's been able to visit him alone.

It was odd, the first time he spoke to him. There was no response, no sarcastic quip, and he had damn near lost his mind. Sadly though, as the week went by, he had gotten used to not hearing a retort. That didn't stop him from hoping.

"I don't know if we really did share the same dreams within our dreams. It's such a fucked up situation, like Inception. Remember that? You talked nonstop about the ending. Called it a conspiracy. I still think DiCaprio woke up, but that's just me." He takes a deep breath, "But I remember it all—the tree, the cafe, the field—all of it."

Sighing, he pulls away and drags a hand down his face.

"I don't know if it was real though. Is it even possible to share dreams between two people? Let alone, have coincidental dreams? Probably not, but I'll keep believing it. And when you wake up, I'll tell you all about it. We'll go to the cafe and sit on the patio. Then I'll take you to the field, so you can see all the sunflowers. But we have to go on a nice day. The dream had no clouds, and the temperature has to be warm but not too hot."

His voice tapers off, and he reaches down again to play with Tendou's fingers, lifting each digit up and letting them drop onto the bed. Swallowing heavily, he palms the back of his hand.

"You know, don't call me a sap cause I know you will, but when I first got news about you, I was sad, upset, angry. All of that. But I was also relieved, and I had no idea why. Then I started to remember what was happening while I was out, and I realized it was cause _you exist_.

Whenever I wasn't in dream-ception mode, you didn't exist. No one knew who you were. And Wakatoshi's roommate was Oikawa. _Oikawa, of all people._

It was like you never a part of our lives, of my life, and that hurt the most. Here, even with you in a coma, you're still here. You exist, and there's a chance I'll get you back. I have to hope that you'll come back. Cause if you don't—"

His voice cracks, and his vision blurs.

"I need you. God, I need you so much," he gasps, and he watches the sheets start to blot with tears, "I have so much to tell you, so you better wake up. And wake up with a bang, like you always do. Just—don't leave me. Please don't leave me."

After watching many of the American movies Hayato always forced onto them, he half expects, wholly hopes, that with his declaration, Tendou will stir. Blink one eye open. Crack a lazy smile. And there will be a happy ending.

None of that happens, and that small flame of hope in Semi's chest dims. Tendou stays still, unmoving except for the steady rise and fall of his chest.

And not for the first time, Semi buries his head onto the sheets and cries.

 

 

\--

 

 

"Do you want me to get anything?" his mother asks, standing at the doorway.

His reply is automatic.

"Sunflowers."

 

 

\--

 

 

Semi is discharged the following week, though he still visits every day.

At first, his parents, namely his mother, fussed, saying that he needed to stay at home and rest. But after repeated attempts of trying to sneak out, including nearly breaking his broken arm, she grudgingly relented.

And so every day, he clambers onto the bus, taking care not to bump his arm against anything solid, sometimes having a more difficult time whenever he has a bouquet of sunflowers tucked safely under his good arm.

He throws out the dying flowers and replaces them with new ones, making sure the arrangement is at its optimum brightest. Then he sits next to Tendou and begins to talk.

He talks about everything and anything, from what he had for breakfast to that annoying song on the radio that he's sure Tendou would love.

Sometimes he breaks down. Sometimes he does not.

Most of the time, he just talks.

 

 

\--

 

 

He shuffles the bouquet underneath his sling, cursing as it falls to the ground. Bending down with a curse, he snatches them up and attempts to rearrange them with one hand. Failing spectacularly, he gives up and shoves them under his good arm.

With some difficulty, he turns the handle and opens the door, only to be met by a pair of wide, red eyes.

Semi freezes with shock, eyes roaming from the scarlet hair that hangs messily, devoid of the copious amounts of gel Tendou normally uses, down to the bandages that wrap around his arms. He's sitting upright, though propped up with a hoard of pillows, and he's also gazing at Semi. Then his eyes drop to the bouquet, and a lazy smile curls on his lips.

"Glad to see you're not tearing the petals off."

Semi snaps out of his daze, stumbling forward and collapsing onto the chair, bouquet lying forgotten on his lap.

"What?" he says, heart galloping at a furious pace.

"Nothing," Tendou mutters, and he scoffs. "I'm glad to see you're ok. Though, did anyone tell you what happened to the asshole who rammed into us?"

"He was arrested. And when did you wake up?"

"Good. And sometime last night. Parents just left." Tendou runs his gaze over Semi again, and he fidgets, suddenly uncomfortable with the scrutiny.

"You look like shit," Tendou suddenly says, and Semi barks out a laugh.

"Says the one still in the hospital. Speaking of, I should send a picture of you to the group chat." Tendou gasps, bringing up his good hand to shield his hair.

"Still so mean, Semisemi! You should really be nicer to hospital patients."

Semi laughs again and Tendou joins him, though this time, Semi's voice cracks, and he realizes that he has tears gliding down his face. Through his blurred vision, he can see Tendou reaching over, and he feels a hand wipe away a stray tear with a tenderness so uncharacteristic of Tendou.

"I've missed you," Semi says, and he hiccups. Tendou smiles solemnly, and he huffs a small laugh, "I've missed you too. I even had a weird dream, and you, Wakatoshi, Hayato, and Reon were in it. It was pretty cool, almost like Inception."

Semi's heart nearly stops beating right there and then, but he presses on, "And?"

Tendou casts his eyes downward, a frown marring his features.

"So it was like our normal everyday life and all, but for some reason, you didn't exist. Like at all. No one knew you, and there were no pictures of you on my phone. But the only time I could see you was when I was dreaming. Imagine that! A dream within a dream. Cool, right?"

Semi nods.

"But it was kinda creepy too. Like in the dreams, the people didn't have faces and all, but you did."

"What did we do?" Semi prompts, gazing intently at him.

"I can't remember it all, but there was once when we were just at the cafe, and—"

"And another where we were in a field of sunflowers," Semi interrupts. Tendou whips his head to face Semi and then winces from the action.

"How—?"

"Those dreams that you had, I had them too," Semi grins, giddy with relief and amusement at an all time high as he witnesses the scene unfold in front of him. Tendou's neck begins to redden, slowly climbing up until his cheeks are pink, then darken to red.

"So, do you remember that last bit..." he trails off. Semi nods.

"Oh god," Tendou groans, covering his eyes with his hand, "Well, I'm thoroughly embarrassed. I thought it was all just a dream, so I let myself self-indulge." He peeks through his fingers, "Can we maybe talk about that later?"

"Or," Semi says, standing. Tendou watches him as he picks up the bouquet and sits on the edge of the bed. He shoves the flowers at him, "We can talk about it now. Why do you think I keep bringing you sunflowers, dumbass?"

Tendou's eyes brighten, and he tightens his grip on the flowers. Bringing them up to his face, he tentatively sniffs at them, and then promptly sneezes.

"Gross."

"You're supposed to say 'bless you'. And you're not supposed to say stuff like that to someone you like." Semi's face rapidly bursts into flames, but he doesn't look away, scoffing loudly.

He holds up a hand, palm facing Tendou, and the latter looks up at him curiously. Understanding dawns on his features and he smiles, bringing his own hand up. This time, Semi moves first, curling his fingers around Tendou's palm. Then Tendou shifts, aligning their hands and intertwining their fingers. His palm is rough and calloused and warm—it feels familiar and safe. It feels real.

It feels like coming home.

**Author's Note:**

> Writing inconsistencies and endings are the bane of my existence.
> 
>  [tumblr](http://www.shrimpyboke.tumblr.com)


End file.
